User talk:Dr. Mehboob Desai
SARDAR PATEL AND INDIAN MUSLIMS Prof. Mehboob Desai On the 4th January 1932, Sardar Patel was arrested Along with Gandhiji for taking part in Civil Disobedience Movement. Both were taken to Yeravada jail, where Sardar stayed with Gandhiji for 16 months. During this period they used to discuss often the Hindu-Muslim problems. These discussions gave a true shape to Sardar's approach towards Muslims.As Sardar respected Gandhiji's views,Gandhiji played-conspicuous role in moulding and changing Sardar's attitude towards Muslims during those days . For example, on a morning of 30.3.1932 an issue of a Muslim leader having come under discussion, Sardar Patel abruptly said: "When a critical situation emarges, this gentleman too reports to narrow and communal attitude and demands separate fund and appeal for the muslims" in reply Gandhiji said: "He cannot be blamed for the reason. What favours do we render the Muslims! We deal with them as if they were untouchable. Therefore if Amtus Salam has to be sent to Deolali,can we suggest keeping her there? As a matter of fact the Hindus should advance forward.if the Hindus understand the heart of the matter , and the wall of discrimination,which has been raised,is removed, it can reduce the bitterness considerably." Vallabhbhai argues: "But the Muslims differ in customs they are non- vegetarian where as we believe in vegetarianism, it is impossible to stay with them in a single home." Bapu counters: "No,No,Hindus are no where Vegetarian except in Gujarat. Every Hindu eats meat in Punjab, Sindh, and Utter Pradesh." On the 6th June 1932, Sardar Patel with as dismal note asked Gandhiji at Yeravada Jail: “Is there any Muslim who pays attention to what You say?” In reply Gandhiji said: "Doesn't Matter ,it does not make any difference, but let us hope that they too open their eyes.The very base of the Satyagraha is that we should trust human nature which means at least one Muslim will certainly come out to say,'we cannot bear if this much takes place"2 On the 8th April 1933 Sardar Patel referring to Indian Muslims said to Gandhiji: "The Muslims are tongue-tied. They do not speak a word and they are fairly co-operating the Government" Bapu's reply was: "The Hindu-Muslim unity is never to realize till the Muslims do not see their own welfare in the welfare of the country."3 Such dialogue only which had taken place between Sardar and Gandhiji at the Yeravada Jail had made a noticeable contribution in changing Sardar's attitude towards the Muslims and giving it a constructive mould, the effect of which is discernible in Sardar's later attitude towards the Muslim of India. After his release from the Jail,Sardar Patel was appointed as the president of the congress Parliamentary Board to select the candidates for the elections of State Legislative Assemblies. Those elections were being held in accordance with the 1935 State Assembly Law. Due to the leadership of Sardar Patel, the Congress ministries were formed in five states out of the eleven. During this period only Mohammad Ali Jinnah was becoming active in the political arena of the Muslim League and because of his efforts the Muslims League candidates in Bombay and U.P. had put up good performance, Talks started for the construction of united of Governments of the Congress and the Muslims League in the several states. Jawaharlal Nehru and Maulana Azad represented the Congress albeit this debate ended in failure. Several historians consider Nehru's unrealistic policy responsible for this failure. Nehru had, during the debate put a condition that at first the Muslim League should merge with the Congress, then and then only the construction of the united Govt. be considered.Sardar Patel was kept quite aloof from this debate,but when he come to know about this type of attitude of Nehru, he had said: "If the chief leader of the Muslim League Khaliquzzaman were consulted, certain compromise would have been taken place." Majority of the historians agree with this opinion and say that this agreement could have certainly avoided partition Gandhiji's Secretary shri Pyarelal Writes: "This was the mistake of a prime order so far as policy is concerned." The news writer of the "The Times" of London of Delhi,Mr.Louis Horren hasd also written: "After several months of partition Mr. Jinnah had told me that Nehru was responsible for partition. If the Muslim League were included in the Congress Governments of 1937 in U.P.,Pakistan would not have been born."4 The British officer Penderal Moon active in ICS before and after the Independence had also shared the opinion and said that: "The Prime cause of the Creation of Pakistan was Congress's failure to cooperate with the league in 1937." Franh Morays,the British historian also putting the same argument, "Pakistan might never have come into being' had 'Congress handled the League more tactfully after the 1937 election".5 the historical events are analyzed under these types of 'IFS' and 'THEN', but the essence of all such arguments is that Sardar was kept aloof from all such discussions. If Sardar who was protagonist in the merger of Princely States in Indian Union, if he were the Participant of this debate ,the history of India after Independence would have been certainly different from what it is. After this event, the communal and separatist tendency of League leader Mohammad Ali Jinnah intensified;which can be seen in his communal speeches. Sardar Patel was much perturbed with Mr. Jinnah's speeches vomiting communal poison and the Muslim community was consciously led away by a Muslim leader whose aim was to shatter and bring to pieces the Hindu- Muslim unity.Sardar found it impossible to understand why maulana Azad,who had digested the Islam deeply, hesitated to expose Jinnah's hollowness. Mohammad Ali Jinnah hardly possessed the principles of a true Muslim.He never remained strictly faithful to the Islamic Principles like following the five times Namaz everyday and abstinence from alcohol. The question as to why the staunch Muslims still followed Jinnah puzzled Sardar. However,Sardar Patel expressed in public his internal desire for communal harmony against Jinnah's speeches vomiting communal poison. In the year 1936,in U.P., as a president of the farmer's gathering he had said: "The kisan Community cannot have such differences as Hindu & Muslim or one caste or the other,a cultivator who produces corn with his hard labour, a small land owner ,a farmer, or a labourer helping the farmer in cultivation, let them belong to any faith or caste, are all farmers only. All are sailing in the same boat; all with sink in or swim out together. Nature never sees such differences of religion or caste. Nature is impartial when it strikes on them in the form of a natural calamity or showers favours on them. The monetary suffering of all the farmer is equal.Our sufferings will end only then when we all remain faithful to our faith and sect,setting aside differences,bringing end to communal infightings joins together in the mission of economic, social and political uplift."6 Jinnah's Communal Policy was naturally supported by the British Govt. as a result of which his efforts to disturb communal harmony met some success, which led him to rumblings with granted enthusiasm and greater malice - such as: "Cogress wishes to establish The Hindu Raj" while refusing this statement of Jinnah, Sardar Patel had said in the 11th session of the Legislative Assembly at Rajpipla as the President on the 25th December 1937: "The nation's legislative assembly is a formidable organization which seeks independence not for 25 crores of its people but it aspires for the same goal for 35 crores that includes Hindus,Muslims,Parsees, Christian and all others taken together."7 This policy of Sardar had received positive response from the people in his activities of public concern. The Congress Session of February 1938 was conducted entirely under his supervision. He had selected Haripura Village on the bank of river Tapi in Bardoli Taluka for the Congress Session. At the same time not only Hindus but also Muslim farmers also had spared their 500 acres of land of the village for this session, with least hesitation. sardar had obtained as much trust and affinity with the Muslim leaders as he had from and with the Hindus by the end of 1938,Subhas Chandra Bose decided that he wished to continue as a Congress President for the second year also.Sardar Patel did not like this declaration of Subhas Babu.Many reasons were of course responsible for this.Gandhiji also had thought of the name of Maulana Azad for it.And Sardar Patel had supported this view of Gandhiji. Maulana Azad,however,expressed his unwillngness to accept the Presidentship of the Congress but agreed to accept it after long discussion with Gandhiji and Sardar at Bardoli on January 1939.Referring to this Sardar Patel wrote to Rajendra Babu. "We have been able to persuade Maulana to accept the Responsibility....After hesitation for a long time he has given his assent to it." After Maulana Azad's consent having been given, Vallabhbhai Patel also took back candidature formally. But Maulana Azad after returning to Bombay from Bardoli changed his early decision and approached Gandhiji to make himself free from his early consent of acceptance of the Presidentship.Maulana Azad,who was himself the resident of Calcatta,perhaps felt that it might he unfair and may be unpleasant to indulge in rivalry with anther Bengali.However,Subhas Babu had been elected with 1580 against 1375 as a president on the 29th of January 1939. 8 But the fact that the manner in which Vallabhbhai had acceped Gandhiji's opinion of suggesting the name of Maulana Azad in place of the name of Subhas Babu, for the Presidentship of the Congress, itself exhibits Sardar's mind as far more inclined towards communal Harmony as being communal. --------------------------------------------------------------------- References 1. Mahadevbhai's Diary,Volume-1,p.65. 2. Parikh Narhari,Sardar Vallabhbhai Part-II,p.109. 3. Mahadevbhai's Diary,Volume-3,p.222. 4.Zakaria,Rafiq,Sardar Patel and Indian Muslims,p.37 5.Gandhi,Rajmohan,Patel A Life,p.262. 6.Parikh,Narhari and Shah,UttamchandEditors Speeches of Sardar Vallabhbhai p.33. 7. Parikh & Shah,Speeches of Sarder Patel,p. 416. 8. Gandhi,Rajmohan,Patel A Life,p.279.